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Albert Chan: are you with Leung or against him?

Michael Chugani

BIO

Michael Chugani is a Hong Kong-born American citizen who has worked for many years as a journalist in Hong Kong, the USA and London. Aside from being a South China Morning Post columnist he also hosts ATV’s Newsline show, a radio show and writes for two Chinese-language publications. He has published a number of books on politics which contain English and Chinese versions.

Wasn't it People Power legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip we heard on the radio last week mauling Philippine president Benigno Aquino for daring to disrespect Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying? Yes, it was. Chan was furious that the seating arrangement made Leung look like a subordinate when the two leaders met in Bali to discuss the Manila hostage tragedy. But isn't it also Chan who disrespects Leung every chance he gets by hurling missiles and screaming at him in the Legislative Council? Yes, it is. And isn't it Chan who doesn't even regard Leung as chief executive? Yes, it is. So why is he so uptight when Aquino actually helped him treat Leung like dirt? Is he saying he can treat Leung like dirt, but Aquino cannot? By standing up for Leung is he also saying he now accepts Leung as his leader and not a despised underground communist lapdog of the central government? What gives, Mr Chan? Never mind, Public Eye can answer. Hypocrisy gives.

Locals want 'third-world nation' to jump when told

Let's honestly ask ourselves why we are so enraged by Aquino's refusal to formally apologise for a crazy man's killing of eight Hongkongers. Public Eye got the answer from a caller to a Chinese-language radio station last week. The caller was furious that a leader of a third-world country would dare treat Hong Kong this way. There you have it. The Philippines is a third-world country which exports maids to clean our toilets. That's why when Albert Chan suggested banning Filipino helpers the concern was not so much that it would penalise the innocent, but that middle-class families would be without maids. When Hongkongers order their maids to jump, they're expected to jump. But Aquino refused. He even dared to downgrade C.Y. Leung's status in the seating arrangement when the two met. That's why Hongkongers are so irked. That's why when Premier Li Keqiang urged Aquino at the East Asia summit to quickly resolve the matter, much of our media reported it like a powerful nation ordering a third-world country to bow. A mainlander was among those killed in the Boston marathon terrorist bombing. Did China ask the United States for a formal apology? No. There is genuine sorrow and anger over the deaths of eight Hongkongers. But Public Eye can't help but think if the killing occurred not in the Philippines, but in a powerful nation, we would not be seeing what we are now.

Populist politics fanracial hatred in society

Public Eye listened to a Chinese-language radio phone-in show yesterday. The animosity some callers had about the Philippines startled us. One called Aquino a thug who needed to be scared into submission by the central government. Another called for a ban on Philippine fruit and maids. And who is helping to fan this hate? Some of our politicians. They are pandering to the people with the worst kind of populist politics. Don't they know that hate begets hate?

There is always the human factor in all mishaps. It can be incompetence resulting from nepotism, institutional corruption, or simply, gross negligence. Mishaps happen in advanced countries,
too. But the third world countries are the more susceptible, and may become the easiest targets for the self-righteous. The question is: can you sue a sovereign country for incompetence, I.e. for being a third world country? The whole thing smacks of extra-territoriality. We Chinese have been on the receiving end of foreign aggression and arrogance. We should be more understanding, and forgiving, rather than calling for revenge and retaliation.

Carparklee Oct 19th 20131:34pm

Good observation, Michael! When I heard Albert Chan mentioned about"Zhongyang 中央 (Central Government)" in a local debate forum. The tone was so loud that I recalled some history book writing about the civil war period of China. "想中央，望中央“(Long for the central government). And I said to myself in front of the TV, "What have I just heard? Sounds so much like a loyalist. Isn't it Albert Chan? WOW" Politician.......

chaz_hen Oct 16th 20133:07pm

Hey Pubic Eye...first of all, CY is a MAYOR...not the leader of a country. Hence his deserved "lower" position to Aquino.
Second, Chan can't support "his boy" and be "patriotic" when it comes to a Chinese territory vs. a foreign country? I thought this was the goal of all the national education stalwarts - patriotism? Or does patriotism in China mean love thy Party...not thy Country? People always stand for their own in a fight against outsiders.
And yes, Pubic Eye, your observation is quite spot on to recognize the Han ethnicity looking at Filipinos as "third world" dirt. In addition to every other SE Asian people, the 50-some "minorities" in the Mainland, and, yes, South Asians like yourself.